Why are you aggressively investing in property?

For Anne Marie and Stuart Rayner, investing in property was a way to fund the retirement lifestyle they were looking for.

“We started passive investment in property quite some time ago and we were just going to ride the wave of capital growth and see how we go. Getting close to retirement that was taking too long, so we became active investors to build value in it,” said Mr Rayner.

Would you buy off the market?

Dominique Grubisa, CEO and founder of DG Institute, believes off-the-market opportunities and distressed properties are bargain opportunities in the current market. 

“Bank repossessions, where there’s someone else that needs help, it’s a win-win. These people would have ended up with nothing, now they end up with something,” said the Rayners.

Can anyone buy off the market?

Jean Martin spent 20 years in IT, before going back to property. Ms Martin, a former architect and landscaper, used some “gardening leave” to spend her last $2,000 in property. The reward was a property resale of $77,000.

The Rayners, who are hands on with their portfolio and also have a background in IT, believe people who do not have a property background can succeed with this type of investment.

“Definitely anyone can do this. That’s the good thing about it; you can have no experience whatsoever and still make this work," they said. 

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

About the author

Cameron is a journalist for Momentum Media's nestegg and Smart Property Investment. He enjoys giving Aussies practical financial tips and tricks to help grow their wealth and achieve financial independence. As a self-confessed finance nerd, Cameron enjoys chatting with industry experts and commentators to leverage their insights to grow your portfolio.

About the author

Cameron is a journalist for Momentum Media's nestegg and Smart Property Investment. He enjoys giving Aussies practical financial tips and tricks to help grow their wealth and achieve financial independence. As a self-confessed finance nerd, Cameron enjoys chatting with industry experts and commentators to leverage their insights to grow your portfolio.

Cameron is a journalist for Momentum Media's nestegg and Smart Property Investment. He enjoys giving Aussies practical financial tips and tricks to help grow their wealth and achieve financial independence. As a self-confessed finance nerd, Cameron enjoys chatting with industry experts and commentators to leverage their insights to grow your portfolio.

more on this topic

Property

Zagga's ninth anniversary sees focus on investor education in real estate private credit

In a significant milestone, Zagga, a key player in the Australian real estate sector, is celebrating its ninth anniversary with a renewed commitment to investor education. The company has grown ...Read more

Property

Australian property’s quiet pivot: resilience hides a new competitive map

Australia’s housing market remains sturdier than the macro noise suggests, but the sources of resilience have shifted. For operators, the profit pool is migrating from ‘volume at any price’ to ...Read more

Property

Gen Z’s 5% deposit rush: how policy‑driven demand is reshaping Australia’s housing value chain

A government-backed 5% deposit guarantee has triggered a surge in first-home buyer intent among Gen Z, pulling forward demand and resetting competition across banks, brokers and buildersRead more

Property

Cautious bidders, smarter sellers: a Queensland auction case study on repricing risk

Queensland’s auction market has hit a caution cycle as buyers price in higher borrowing costs, global uncertainty and cost-of-living pressure. Clearance softness is forcing agencies to re-engineer ...Read more

Property

Trust, technology and triage: what NSW’s ‘name and shame’ signals for real estate governance

NSW’s latest enforcement action on real estate trust accounts isn’t a one-off embarrassment; it’s a stress test of sector governance. With licences suspended and penalties applied, the message is ...Read more

Property

Vacancy is rising, demand is resilient: A case study in defending yield as Australia’s rental cycle rebalances

After a blistering run, Australia’s rental market is loosening at the edges. Vacancy is edging up off historic lows, rent inflation is set to moderate into 2026, yet underlying demand remains ...Read more

Property

Don’t lose the deposit: A case study in stopping real estate payment fraud — and the ROI for doing it

Deposit redirection scams are quietly eroding buyer savings and agency reputations in Australia’s property market. This case study unpacks how a mid-tier real estate group redesigned its settlement ...Read more

Property

The $12m threshold: Why portfolio value, not property count, now defines Australia’s investor elite

The old yardstick of six properties as shorthand for investment success has been overtaken by a harsher reality: in today’s market, elite status is defined by balance-sheet strength, not asset countRead more